Nvidia Shield update introduces HD content-streaming and control mapper for touch-based games

Listen up, owners (and potential owners) of Nvidia’s Shield handheld system, something rather big considering the new-ish Android device has occurred, in the form of an update from Nvidia. This update upgrades the Shield’s operating system to Android 4.3, bringing with it a slew of neat features.

Among them, the company revealed on its blog, is “Console Mode”, which allows you to pair a Bluetooth controller to the Shield to stream clear, 1080p HD content (Android games, web-browsing, video-watching and such) from the handheld to a TV screen. The mode also supports the Shield’s GameStream feature (which is now out of beta, thanks to the update), meaning you can enjoy streaming your PC games on big screens as well.

Another interesting feature of the update provides a new way for you to play touch-based Android games. Known as the Gamepad Mapper, this lets you take the controls of a game designed for touchscreens and map them to the Shield’s physical buttons, enabling you to put together your own customized control scheme for each game.

A couple of interface tweaks including restricted profiles, actionable notifications, and the ability to move app files to SD cards top off the list of features that Nvidia is giving the handheld.

A writer, journalist, and aspiring storyteller, Peter Grimm has been gaming since the days of the Nintendo 64, and reporting on the goings-on in the World of Gaming since late 2011. His base of writing operations is located within the void between Here and There, or so he would have you think.

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